Difference between Red Wine Glass and White Wine Glass

Red Wine Glasses (8-14 oz)

Glasses for red wine are characterized by their rounder, wider bowl, which gives the wine a chance to breathe. Since most reds are meant to be consumed at room temperature, the wider bowl also allows the wine to cool more quickly after hand contact has warmed it. Red wine glasses can have particular styles of their own, such as:

· Bordeaux glass: Tall with a wide bowl, and is designed for full bodied red wines like Cabernet and Merlot as it directs wine to the back of the mouth. 

· Burgundy glass: Larger than the Bordeaux glass, it has a larger bowl to accumulate aromas of more delicate red wines such as Pinot Noir. This style of glass directs wine to the tip of the tongue.

White Wine Glass (8-14 oz)

White wine glasses are generally narrower, although not as narrow as champagne flutes, with somewhat straight or tulip-shaped sides. The narrowness of the white wine glass allows the chilled wine to retain its temperature for two reasons;

· The reduced surface area of the glass (in comparison to red wine glasses) means less air circulating around the glass and warming the wine. 

· The smaller bowl of the glass means less contact between the hand and the glass, and so body heat does not transfer as easily or as fast to the wine.